1. Technical Field
The invention generally relates to the field of electronic books and, more particularly, to systems and methods for adding custom inscriptions to electronic books.
2. Background Information
Electronic books (“ebooks”) have become increasingly popular in recent years. Ebooks now account for over 20% of all book sales in the United States, and that percentage is rising rapidly. Some estimates have the ebook market share reaching 50% as early as 2016. Electronic books can be displayed on dedicated electronic book reading devices and electronic book reading applications are available for many electronic devices such as smart phones and tablets, devices that many people already carry every day. With a single electronic device, a user can access millions of books, making the reading experience far more convenient and accessible.
However, for a variety of reasons, some people prefer traditional hard-copy books to their electronic counterparts. One such reason is the additional value that many people place on copies of books that include an autograph or other inscription made by the author. Although some systems exist for adding additional content to ebooks, these systems tend to be unwieldy and do not allow authors and readers the same flexibility as they enjoy when signing a hard-copy of a book. Technology provides as yet unrealized opportunities to provide and extend the ability for authors to inscribe copies of their books.